FL Gateway Grizzlies

Grizzlies Homer Past Freedom in Finale

Published on September 2, 2010 under Frontier League (FL)
Gateway Grizzlies News Release


SAUGET, Ill.- The Gateway Grizzlies hit four home runs Thursday night and defeated the Florence Freedom 11-4 in the finale of a three-game series at GCS Ballpark. The Grizzlies scored eight times in the first four innings.

The Grizzlies (52-39) will remain at worst 1 1/2 games back of the River City Rascals for the final playoff spot in the West Division. River City, scheduled to play the finale of a three-game series Thursday in O'Fallon, Mo., hadn't started its game with Normal (delayed due to rain) when the Grizzlies finished at GCS Ballpark.

Gateway scored three times in the first inning Thursday night, and never trailed in the game. Logan Parker drove in a run with a single and Charlie Lisk added a sacrifice fly in the inning. The third run scored on a throwing error.

Florence (37-56) got a two-run home run from Brandon Cohen in the top of the second to cut the Grizzlies lead to 3-2. That is as close as the Freedom would get.

Jareck West and Breck Draper led off the second inning with back-to-back home runs to extend the Grizzlies lead back to three runs at 5-2. Gateway scored twice more in the third to go up 7-2. Matt Sanders drove in a run in the inning with a single to right center. Gordie Gronkowski led off the fourth inning with his 15th home run of the year to left to make it 8-2 Grizzlies.

Grizzlies starter Josh Whitlock (3-10) earned the win, his second in three starts since being acquired by the Grizzlies in August. He allowed four runs over eight innings and struck out five. Whitlock retired 17 of 19 hitters from the end of the second inning to the start of the eighth.

Florence scored twice more in the eighth inning to make it 8-4, before Parker answered for the Grizzlies in the bottom of the inning. Tyler Heil and Gronkowski each reached on two-out singles before Parker lined his 11th home run of the year into the lawn for the final margin.

Parker was 2 for 3 with four RBIs. Gronkowski was 2 for 4 with the home run. West and Draper were each 2 for 4 with a homer and two runs scored.

The Grizzlies will open a three-game series with West Division Champion Southern Illinois Friday night at GCS Ballpark. First pitch between the Miners and Grizzlies is set for 7:05 pm.

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